Unless otherwise stipulated by local regulations (Cruise Travel Requirements by Country) that would supersede our policy, at time of check-in, all guests age 2 and over will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 antigen or NAAT test (I.e. PCR) result administered by a verified third party or via medically supervised home test within two days prior to embarkation date for cruises originating in a U.S. or Canadian port and within three days prior for voyages departing from a non-U.S. port. Guests must bring digital or printed proof of negative test results. If a guest is unable to provide proof of a negative result at the time of embarkation, only antigen testing will be available at the terminal at the guest's expense. Please note that PCR testing will not be available at the terminal, and if this part of the pre-embarkation requirement you will be unfortunately denied boarding. Laboratory Test results need to be in English and include the following information:
- Your name, which should match the name on your travel documents
- Your date of birth
- The result of the test
- The date the test sample was collected
- The name of the test provider
- Confirmation of the type of test provided
In order to facilitate, Norwegian has partnered with Inspired Diagnostics lab to ensure that guests have access to a quick, efficient and easy way to access the required FDA-approved proctored in-home antigen test prior to embarkation from the comfort of their own home. Inspired Diagnostics is a subsidiary of Inspire Health Alliance, a leader in best-in-class health services. Testing at home is safe, simple, and convenient. Purchasing in-home testing kits is simple.
Should you have any questions about Inspired Diagnostics’ in-home testing services, please visit https://inspirediagnostics.com/ncl/, call Inspired Diagnostics at 949-207-3315, or email info@inspirediagnostics.com. Please be certain to identify yourself as a guest of Norwegian Cruise Line.
Guests are also responsible for complying with all local health and safety requirements which may include additional pre-embarkation testing at the terminal. On select sailings where local government or health authorities may require guests to partake in additional COVID-19 testing on embarkation day, NCL will provide this testing free of charge at the terminal. This would be in addition to NCL’s pre-embarkation COVID-19 testing requirements listed above. Please refer to Cruise Travel Requirements by Country for country specific requirements.
All unvaccinated guests ages 2 through 11 will be required to bring proof of a negative NAAT test (i.e. PCR) result administered by a verified third party within three days prior to embarkation date. Failure to comply will result in denial of boarding.
Additionally, unvaccinated guests ages 2 through 11 on sailings from or to a U.S. or Canada port will be subject to additional testing at embarkation and disembarkation administered and paid for by the cruise line, as part of the U.S Centres for Disease Control (CDC) Voluntary COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships Operating in U.S. Waters.
Other available pre-embarkation testing services:
Additionally, the following services offer a verified third party or medically supervised at home testing: eMed or BioReference-Scarlett Concierge testing service – BioReference sends a trained Scarlet Health Professional to your home to collect your COVID-19 test specimen.
Locate a Covid-19 Testing Provider Prior to Your Cruise:
Should you need to locate a testing provider prior to beginning travel or while travelling prior to your cruise, please visit TestForTravel.com, an easy-to-use online tool for locating COVID-19 testing providers around the world. Simply enter your zip code, or city and country, and the website will display locations, contact information, and testing hours. It also allows you to search by test type – PCR or Antigen.
To understand the earliest you should test prior to your cruise vacation, see below:

As a reminder, all guests are responsible for checking on travel restrictions and complying with all requirements, which may include additional pre-embarkation testing at the terminal. NCL recommends for all guests to follow, and where possible, sign up for notifications from their local government on international travel regulations that may prevent, restrict, or require additional documentation when travelling to another country for embarkation or during their cruise.
For additional information, please visit www.ncl.com/travel-requirements-by-country.